The Rest Is Silence (Formerly In Our Own Words)
by LindsayR
Summary: A sort of sequel to Willow's Rebellion told from different points of view. Ties up any loose ends from that story.
1. My Childe (Angel's POV)

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon.

My Childe

By

Anessa Ramsey

            I can't remember the last time I felt so good.  I never thought that I would have 

this again.  Right now, right here, is where I always wanted to be but I never let him 

know it.  

            I can't help but look him over as he sleeps, like I've done every night for three 

weeks.  He was always so beautiful I could never get enough of him.  I think that's why 

Darla hated him so much.  He took me from her.  How could she ever compare to him, 

with those hauntingly bright blue eyes and cheekbones that are so sharp you'd think you 

could cut yourself on them?  His body is pale temptation.  He is fair, long and lean where 

I am dark and more muscular, but he fits perfectly to me when I spoon against him.  I 

don't think he knows this, but what I love the most are his eyes and lips.  He has no idea 

how revealing his eyes can be.  When we make love I watch him just to see everything he 

feels flitting through those blue orbs.  And he's got this pouty lower lip that induces 

fantasies of carnal pleasure.

            You probably think I'm a sap, or as he puts it…a poof.  But I'm not.  I love him 

and have for over a century.  He never knew.  I never showed it.  Even when we claimed 

each other I never gave him any indication that I loved him.  Years have gone by and we 

have both changed.  For so long we were apart and now, even though we are together 

again, I am not the only one in his life.  You see, while we were apart, he fell in love with 

a beautiful red haired witch.

            I never thought I'd ever be in the same bed as Willow Rosenberg.  I certainly 

never thought I'd ever make love to her.  After all she's Buffy's best friend.  Yet there 

she is, with her red hair spilling lightly across the pillow, her arm draped over Spike, and 

her fingers entwined with mine.  She is beautiful in ways I never noticed until recently.  

She loves him and she knows all about my past with him.  We have begun to love each 

other just as deeply as we do him.  I find it amazing that the only three vampires in the 

world with souls are in love with each other.

            I felt bad for my childe when I learned that he was forced to turn Willow or lose 

her.  I'm also proud of him.  He not only had her soul restored but his as well.  I won't 

say that it's been easy.  It's been extremely hard.  He has nightmares about the things 

he's done, about being the monster that I turned him into.  He had no idea what he was in 

for when I cornered him in that alley.  All I talked about was pleasure and eternal love.  I 

never mentioned pain, murder, blood, or damnation.  When he wakes up screaming the 

only thing that calms him down is us.  We hold him and it seems to bring some measure 

of peace.  I know it will get easier.  It's just going to take time.

            It's those times he wakes up screaming, with tears running down his cheeks, that I 

think I'm supposed to regret making him, but I find I can't.  I regret Dru because of what 

I did to her and the insanity that plagues her because of it, but I don't regret him.  From 

the minute I saw him everything about him drew me in.  Dru was an obsession, a crazy 

game.  Spike was love.  I didn't play any games with him.  I just seduced him into my 

world.  If I'm supposed to feel guilty for that then I'll have to apologize to the Powers 

That Be because all the guilt in the world couldn't make me regret having him here by 

my side.  He's mine and I'm his and she's ours and we're hers…forever.


	2. Life as a Scooby (Cordelia's POV)

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, etc.

Life as a Scooby

By 

Anessa Ramsey

            I should have known better.  I was popular, rich, had a huge group of friends, and 

dated the most gorgeous guys in school.  The second I realized that Buffy Summers was 

strange I should have stayed away from her and her weird little group of friends.  Instead 

I went and fell in love with Xander Harris, one of her sidekicks.  I chose him over all the 

popularity I achieved and he broke my heart.  It was because of them that I learned all 

about the things that go bump in the night.

            I used to think that if Buffy had never come to Sunnydale I'd still be ignorant of 

vampires, demons, and the other evils in the world but I probably would have never 

survived high school.  It took a demon to show me that.  I used to be shallow and petty.  

Learning about demons and dealing in death and pain on a daily basis has changed me.  

Working for Angel has changed me.

            I can honestly say that Angel's my best friend.  We really didn't get to know each 

other in Sunnydale because he was so wrapped up in Buffy and trying to send the world 

to hell.  Here in LA, though, he's my saving grace.  I live in an apartment haunted by a 

ghost and am trying to break into show business.  I haven't been having very much luck.  

I would have ended up on the street but Angel gave me a job.

            Up until recently he's been so brooding and unhappy.  I know that he's filled with 

guilt over his past but there was nothing that gave him any joy.  Guilt consumed him.  I 

know that I shouldn't be thankful that Xander got Willow killed, but I look at Angel now 

and I can't help but be grateful for it.  Willow's death not only gave him back the love of 

his life but brought a new love to him as well.

            When I learned what Xander had done I can't say that I was surprised.  He never 

did accept change easily and someone should have realized that he'd attempt something 

more drastic when his plan to have Angel kill Spike didn't work out.  

            The call came around midnight.  We were all just hanging out waiting for a new 

case to come in when the phone rang.  It was Buffy.  Angel was surprised because she 

never called him.  It was always Giles who kept in contact with us.  I can still see the look 

on his face when she told him.  It was like his heart had been torn out of his chest.  He 

just hung up the phone and ordered us to get in the car.  When Doyle asked what was 

going on all he said was that we were going to Sunnydale.

            On the way up we finally managed to learn what happened.  I couldn't believe 

that Spike had to turn Willow or that they were going to have their souls restored.  They 

also found a way to anchor Angel's soul.  I was so happy for him.  I was also concerned.  

I knew he loved Buffy…everyone knew that.  But Willow and I were the only two who 

knew that he was still in love with Spike.  About a half hour outside of Sunnydale I asked 

him who he would choose.  He didn't answer but I knew.   

            When we walked into a club called Morrigan's Lair he ignored everyone else and 

went straight to Spike.  Before anyone could say a word they were clinging to each other 

purring, Angel's hand stroking Spike's hair.  I knew then that things were going to be 

different between them.  I also knew that things in LA were going to change.  There was 

no way Angel would leave Spike behind and he wouldn't get Spike without Willow.  I 

was shocked to see a sappy grin plastered on Buffy's face.  It was obvious that she knew 

about Angel and Spike's past.  No one else had a clue what was going on but we all still 

turned our backs, giving them a moment of privacy.  They took that opportunity to find a 

private place to talk.  They never noticed Willow standing on the walkway above the 

dance floor smiling down at them.

            It's been three weeks since that night.  We returned to LA and I was right about 

things being different.  I've never seen Angel smile so much.  He even laughs sometimes.  

Having Spike and Willow here has been wonderful.  I thought that having Spike around 

would drive us all crazy, but he's different now that he has his soul.  Don't get me wrong, 

he still dresses and talks like a punk but he doesn't set out to purposely annoy people.  

He's quiet and a little shy, which is definitely not what I expected.  I know that he doesn't 

sleep well and that he has nightmares every night, but Willow says he's coping.  I know 

being around Angel helps.  Who better to help him through getting his soul back than 

someone who's had his for eighty years?

            Willow and I have become good friends.  We have more in common now than we 

did in high school.  All those changes Xander hated have made it easier for us to find 

common ground.  Sometimes she stays over with me to keep me company and I admit 

that it's nice to have a girl to talk to.  I don't even mind talking to her about her 

relationship with Angel and Spike, though I did ask her to keep certain details to herself.

            If you would have told me four years ago that I'd be spending my life fighting 

demons and the forces of darkness I would have laughed in your face and made some 

scathing comment about you.  Now I wouldn't have it any other way.  I have a job that I 

love and a group of friends that include a half demon who gets head splitting visions from 

the Powers That Be and three vampires with souls.  You probably think it's weird, but for 

me this is normal.  It's all just a part of life as a Scooby.


	3. Life Happens (Willow's POV)

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, etc.

Life Happens (or He Gave Me Eternity)

By

Anessa Ramsey

            I have to tell you honestly, I never thought this is where my life would end up.  I 

was supposed to go to an Ivy League college and become something important.  I had the 

grades and all the extracurricular activities.   I probably would have done it too, except I 

met Buffy Summers and well, what can I say…life happened.

            I wouldn't trade any of my experiences for all the money in the world.  I've had a 

hell of a time.  Being the plain mousy girl that I was before Buffy showed up wasn't 

making me happy.  Sure Xander and Jesse were great friends…the best of…but I needed 

a girl to talk to and Buffy seemed to just drop right from the sky and proclaim herself my 

friend.

            If I'd had any idea that she was a vampire slayer I probably would have called her 

crazy and run screaming in the opposite direction.  But I didn't know at first and by the 

time I did it was too late.  I was hooked.  I would never admit it, but all the excitement 

and danger was like an adrenaline rush for me, especially when Angelus was around.  

Could he have been any sexier?  It must have been all the leather and silk and danger he 

exuded because Angel never affected me like that.  At least not back then.

            It has been four years since I started helping Buffy and I am now nineteen years 

old.  It's ironic.  Some women spend thousands of dollars on plastic surgery trying to 

look nineteen when they are really thirty-five.  All I had to do was get shot by an arrow 

and turned into a vampire.

            You heard me correctly, I am a vampire and I have my soul.  I felt horrible that 

Spike was forced into the position that he was.  I know that he didn't want to turn me.  

Sure, I knew that he would one day but neither of us planned on it happening so soon.  

He loved me the way that I was, human and soul filled.  But I knew I was dying so I 

asked him to do it.  I didn't want to leave him when I'd just found him.  That night I 

became a vampire just like him.  But he wouldn't let me become a monster.  He took me 

to Morrigan and had my soul restored.  I never expected him to get his restored as well.

            It's been three weeks since that night.  Spike and I are currently living in LA.  I 

felt bad about leaving Buffy behind, especially since Xander disappeared.  I miss her like 

crazy.  But another aspect of my relationship with Spike changed that night and it all 

centered around one person.  Angel.  

            Angel is the only person in the world who loves Spike as much as I do.  They 

have a history together that surpasses anything I could ever imagine and a love that I only 

dreamed of experiencing.  They had been apart for so long, nearly ninety years, that I 

thought nothing would bring them back together, despite the feelings they had.  In the 

end it took my death and resurrection for them to be able to put the past behind them and 

look toward the future.  I'm glad they did because we need Angel, even if Spike refuses 

to admit it.

            Since having his soul anchored the Angel I knew as Buffy's boyfriend has 

changed.  He is lighthearted and carefree.  His guilt is still there but he allows happiness 

into his life.  He is playful and sensual and a hint of that danger that surrounded Angelus 

now clings to him as well.  He's also taken to wearing leather and silk again.  Spike says 

that he is more like the Angelus of old rather than the version we met in Sunnydale.

            Angel is not the only one who has changed.  Spike is different as well.  He is 

more like William than I thought he would be.  Don't get me wrong Spike is still in there, 

playful and energetic in bed, sweet and soft on the eyes.  He still has the brash and bold 

bravado that he uses to hide how he really feels.  But having his soul returned to him has 

made him a little more reserved and unsure sometimes.  I only see glimpses of it, but I 

have seen enough to know that William was a lot like I was in high school before Buffy 

came into my life and it makes me love him all the more because I know how he feels.

            I watch Angel sometimes and I see the way he looks at Spike.  I thought I would 

be jealous that someone else loved my lover that much, but then I realized that I look at 

Spike the same way.  Most people would think it's odd or kinky that we share a bed but 

we are in love.  Yep, I'm in love with both of them.  How could I not be?  Spike is my 

first true love.  From the second he touched me, really touched me, I knew that I was his.  

            Falling in love with Angel was completely unexpected.  I knew that I'd be sharing 

Spike with him and I knew that would mean sharing a bed as well.  I just never expected 

to want him nearly as much as I wanted Spike.  The first time I saw them together I 

couldn't tear my eyes away.  I expected it to be rough and a little more savage, but it was 

beautiful and tender and erotic.  I could see the way that they loved each other in every 

touch and look.  When they finally recovered they both turned to the doorway and I was 

caught.  I intended to mutter some apology and bolt out of there but Spike just caught my 

eyes with his and extended his hand.  I've been with both of them ever since.

            I know that things will change.  The years will go by.  Friends will get older and 

move on or pass away, yet we will stay the same.  We will live to see a new generation of 

children take up the fight.  Some will live and others will die.  It's the way the story goes.  

And as painful as it is all we can do is cling to each other and the love that we have and 

hope that we survive.  Even though we are vampires and eternity is ours, we cannot 

control the future, because life just happens


	4. They Gave Me Love (Spike's POV)

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, etc.

They Gave Me Love

By 

Anessa Ramsey

            When I sat down in that alley in London, on that night so long ago, I never 

imagined that my life would change so drastically.  I was devastated about Cecily's 

rejection but it was more about humiliation than the fact that I thought I was in love with 

her.  That's when I saw him.  He was leaning against the side of the building watching 

me with these dark, turbulent eyes.  He had long, dark hair that was pulled back in a 

queue.  He was big, several inches taller than me and more muscular.  He looked like he 

could have been a pugilist.  

            When he started walking toward me I backed up a few steps.  He moved like a 

predator, stalking me, and he enjoyed it.  There was this little smirk on his face, as if he 

reveled in my fear.  I remember asking him who he was and getting no response.  I kept 

backing up and he kept advancing until I was backed against a building and he was only 

inches from me.

            "Someone has hurt you," were the first words he ever said to me.  His voice was 

warm and smooth like a fine Irish whiskey.  When he brushed a tear from my cheek it 

was everything I could do not to flinch.  I was no longer afraid.  I flinched because just 

the touch of his thumb made me feel things that I never had before.

            "Do you believe in true love William?"

            I told him yes, not even questioning him about how he knew my name, and he 

asked me if I would like to experience it.  He told me that he could show me worlds I 

never dreamed of.  He offered me pleasures so intense that when they stopped I would 

beg to experience just a little bit more.  He told me that he would love me forever.  He 

was the most sensual being I'd ever seen.  I had never been attracted to a man before but 

there was something about him that just drew me in.  He was pure temptation.

            "I'm going to make you an offer William.  I'm going to offer you eternal life.  

You will never grow old and you will never die.  You will be part of a family, loved and 

cherished forever.  Would you like to join my family?"

            Angelus was a damn persuasive bastard when he wanted to be and he knew 

exactly what to say and do to make me want him.  I remember nodding and this little 

smile played about his lips just before he kissed me.  I'd only been kissed a couple of 

times in my life at that point but they were never anything like his.  He was all lips and 

tongue, devouring me whole.  I responded in kind, unable to control the need that coursed 

through me.  When he pulled back I was too dazed to notice that his face had changed 

and when I did it was too late.  He buried his fangs in my neck and I felt my life draining 

from me.  Just before the blackness enveloped me I tasted a thick, bitter substance 

running down my throat.  It was then that I knew.  He was a vampire and I was going to 

join him.

            It's been nearly a hundred and thirty years since that night and I still remember 

everything he said and everything I felt.  I fell in love with him.  It was stupid and human 

but I couldn't help it.  He was indifferent to me except when he was in my bed.  I 

honestly thought that he hated me the majority of the time.  I didn't know that the reason 

behind his indifference was love.

            I look at him now and wonder how we ever got to this point.  When he abandoned 

us upon the return of his soul I swore that I would hate him forever.  I was stuck taking 

care of Dru and roaming the world.

            When I came to the Hellmouth to heal Dru it hurt me more than words can 

express to see him with the Slayer.  The love of my life was in love with someone else.  

When he lost his soul I thought things would be like they were before but the new 

Angelus was only interested in beating me down.  I left town, swearing never to return 

only to find myself there again a year later and then again the year after that.  

            The third time I was in town he was gone and I did something completely stupid.  

I fell in love with a mortal girl.  One who just happened to be best friends with the slayer.  

I thought it was hopeless but then I talked to her and she treated me like a man, despite 

what I did to her in the past.  I never expected her to like me but she did.  We kept seeing 

each other, finding more in common each time we met.  For the first time in years I was 

in love and for once I knew that it was returned. 

            Willow Rosenberg is the most beautiful woman I've ever known.  She is smart, 

funny, and loves me.  I told her once that she was my soul and it was the truth.  She 

would do anything to make sure that I was happy, even if I didn't think I needed it.

            When Peaches came up to make sure that I was behaving I was glad that I had 

Willow because the desire to be held by him nearly tore me apart.  When Red gave him 

the okay to kiss me I wanted to run.  I tried to run but he had a solid grip on my shirt.  I 

didn't want her to see what he could do to me.  I didn't want her to know how much I still 

loved him.

            But he did kiss me and we both ended up lost in it.  It was like the first time he 

kissed me in that alley.  All those feelings came rushing back, drowning me.  

Unfortunately things never end good between us and the few minutes after that kiss was 

no exception.

            A couple days later when Willow got shot by an arrow meant for me, I thought 

my world was going to fall apart.  When she told me to turn her I didn't want to.  I wasn't 

going to condemn her to a life in the shadows, but I couldn't let her go either, so I did it.  

            That night I had Morrigan restore her soul and mine as well.  They found a way to 

restore it without the clause in the gypsy curse.  It was supposed to be a gift for Angel 

and he took advantage of it.  I thought that when his soul was permanent I would never 

have him again.  I was certain that he would choose the slayer.  I was wrong.  That night 

he and I re-established a relationship that we had both been missing for years.  And we 

brought Willow into it as well.

            It's been three weeks since then and we are in LA living and working with Angel.  

I know that Red is unhappy and I think that she and the cheerleader have managed to 

convince Angel to move the business to Sunnydale.  I know the Mick with the visions 

will be coming too.  I've seen the way he looks at Cordelia.  I can't say I'm not glad to be 

going back.  There's something about the Hellmouth that just draws you there.  Maybe 

when we get back I'll tell them about the promise the slayer extracted from me before I 

got my soul.


	5. A Slayer's Life (Buffy's POV)

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, etc.

Author's Note:  For this story Faith never escaped from the Council.

A Slayer's Life

By

Anessa Ramsey

            When Merrick first told me that I was a vampire slayer I laughed.  I mean, no one 

except crazy people actually believe in vampires, or so I thought.  That night Merrick 

took me to a cemetery in LA and gave me a wooden stake.  Needless to say when 

something started digging it's way out of a grave I was stunned.  So stunned I almost lost 

my life that night.  As I found out later the life expectancy of a slayer is only about 

twenty years.  I was already fifteen.

            When I moved to Sunnydale with my mom I was thrilled, but I didn't let it show.  

I thought that I would finally be able to have a life without worrying about being the 

Chosen One.  I came to find out that we moved to the Hellmouth.  I thought that Fate had 

royally screwed me over until I met Xander and Willow.  They became my two best 

friends and partners in slayage.  If it weren't for them I'd be dead already.  It's been four 

years since they found out and I'm still going strong.

            Just when things are going good though, Fate sweeps in and sends everything into 

a tailspin.  When Willow began to change the way she dressed and wouldn't let people 

walk all over her I was happy for her.  She was so much more fun.  When she fell in love 

with Spike I thought she was crazy.  I was sure that he was using her to get to me but I 

was wrong.  He really was in love with her, so I dealt with it.  She was happy and he 

wasn't feeding on people.  When she told Xander and Giles things didn't go so good.  

Giles was okay with it after asking us a few questions but Xander freaked out.  He swore 

that he would see Spike turn to dust.  When Xander's involved things never go as 

planned.  Because of his actions my best friend is now a vampire.  She has eternity while 

I have just years.

            Xander has been missing since the night it happened.  I don't think he wants to 

face up to what he did.  I know how that feels.  I shouldn't have snapped at him in the 

park and Giles was a little harsh when we got to his place with Willow, but he was just 

worried.  I know that if he would just come back everything would be okay.

            It's hard to believe it's only been three weeks.  I miss having a girl to talk to.  

Anya is really great but she and Giles are pretty wrapped up in each other right at the 

moment.  I was upset when Willow made the decision to move to LA with Spike so that 

he could be with Angel.  I knew about Angel's past with his childe.  I knew when Spike 

had Willow's soul restored he was going to try and make amends with his sire.  I never 

expected them all to fall in love with each other, but they have.  That's one relationship I 

didn't see coming but it seems to make them happy.

            What I'm really thrilled about though, is the call I received today.  It seems 

they're going to move back to Sunnydale.  I never thought I would ever have to thank 

Cordelia Chase for anything, but it was her idea.  She's been really unhappy in LA and so 

has Willow.  Together they managed to convince Angel that the Hellmouth needed a 

private investigator more than LA did.

            When they come back I'm going to tell them about the promise I extracted from 

Spike before he got his soul back.  Being the slayer doesn't give me the option of a long 

life or the chance to accomplish my goals so I made Spike promise to turn me and have 

Morrigan restore my soul.  In just five weeks I will be a vampire.  Maybe then I will 

finally get to rest.  I broke up with Riley right after Willow left for LA.  He doesn't know 

what I am and certainly wouldn't have liked what I am going to become.  Angel and 

Willow will try to talk me out of it.  Giles and my mother won't understand, but I don't 

want to die at the hands of a demon out to destroy the world or a vampire waiting for one 

good day.  I want to see the world and what it has to offer.  If I have to live in the night 

and drink blood to do it, so be it.   It's worth it to me.  I'm ready to be selfish and let 

someone else worry about the fate of the world.  Let them release Faith to fight and die or 

let them call another.  It doesn't matter to me.  This slayer's life is over.


	6. When the Music Stops... (Xander's POV)

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, etc.

When the Music Stops…..

            Buffy once told me a saying that Merrick, her first watcher, told her.  When the music stops the rest is silence.   I never understood that until this moment.  

It's been nine months since I left Sunnydale, and the mess that I made, behind.  I didn't want to face up to what I had done to my best friend.  Willow was my best friend and I was supposed to be hers, but for the last few weeks of her life I didn't act much like one.  When she began to change I didn't want to accept her.  I wanted the sweet, shy, nerdy Willow back because I all I could see was that she was moving on without me.  I was still the same old Xander Harris, with the weird sense of humor and bad taste in clothing.  I was still the Zeppo that Cordelia once pegged me as.  

            When I found out that Willow was dating Spike it sort of pushed me over the edge.  I managed to convince myself that he was the reason behind all the changes in her and that if I wanted her to go back to the way she was all I would have to do was get rid of him.  

            My first plan was a complete failure.  I can't believe I actually thought Angel would dust one of his childer no matter how much hatred there was between them.  Instead I watched as Willow gave Angel permission to kiss Spike.  That was something I never saw coming.  I didn't really think about the relationship Angel had with Spike before that night, but I now know that it went beyond just being hunting partners.  

            So my first plan was an utter failure, which wasn't surprising considering that I'm a failure at everything I do, but I wasn't deterred.  I took all the money that I had saved from all of my jobs and hired an assassin.  I must have gone temporarily insane to do it, but I wanted Willow back the way she was and obviously I was willing to use any means necessary.

            Again, things didn't go as planned.  Willow was never supposed to break out of my hold and jump in front of Spike to try and push him down.  She was never supposed to be hit in the back with the arrow.  She was never supposed to be turned into a vampire…but she was.

            Both Buffy and Giles were right to be so angry.  I was responsible for my best friend's death.  When Jesse died I knew that it was something I had no control over but what happened to Willow was all my fault.  So I ran away.  I was so mad at Buffy when she ran after sending Angel to Hell yet now I know exactly why she did.  The irony of the situation isn't lost on me.

            So now here I am, standing on a sidewalk in New York.  It's late but I can hear the carolers down by the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.  They are singing Silent Night but I'm no longer paying attention to them.  My concentration is on the gun that the boy in front of me is waving.  He's demanding all my money and anything valuable but I'm too frozen to move.  It's like I'm watching the scene outside my body.  My brain is telling me to hand everything over but my body refuses to respond.  Suddenly I realize that I can no longer hear the carolers singing.  The music has stopped.  I look into the hardened face of the teenager, who can't be more than sixteen years old, and I know that he has lost his patience.  I see his finger pulling the trigger back slowly and all I feel is a strange sense of peace.  I close my eyes, not wanting my last sight to be of the boy with the gun.  One thought runs through my mind.  'Willow, I'm sorry…'

* BANG! * 


	7. ...The Rest Is Silence

Disclaimer:  I own nothing.  Everything belongs to Joss Whedon, etc.

…The Rest is Silence

By 

Anessa Ramsey

            Buffy looked around at her friends, happier than she had been in years.  In the nine months since that awful night things had drastically improved in Sunnydale.  Willow, Angel, Spike, and Cordelia had all moved back up from LA bringing Doyle, Angel's seer and Cordy's boyfriend, along with them.  Angel Investigations was now located in Sunnydale and they all worked there.

            She looked at Spike, who was throwing tinsel at Angel, and grinned.  When everyone heard of the promise she had him make they were all ready to do everything it took to keep it from happening.  Surprisingly her mother had been the most understanding of her decision.  She knew what her daughter's life was like as the slayer and just wanted it over.  In the end no one had been able to change her mind.  For the past seven months she has lived in the night and would do so forever.  She was a vampire.

            When the Council learned that she had been turned and given her soul they had taken to rehabilitating Faith in the hopes that she could still be useful.  It seemed to work and the dark slayer was now back in Sunnydale, repentant of the actions that got her incarcerated, and killing vamps right and left.  She even had occasional help from the Fang Gang as she called them.  The Council, at the urging of Giles, had even agreed to employ the Angel Investigations team as independent demon hunters.  So far they had traveled to France and Germany to take out potential threats to the human race.  She'd seen more of the world than she'd ever expected to, all in less than a year.  What the Council didn't know was that Faith was planning on joining them as a member of the undead in a short time.  She made Angel agree to turn her and have her soul restored.  Cordelia and Anya were the only ones who'd made the decision to remain human, mostly because of Doyle and Giles.  

            Buffy looked at Willow and Cordelia hanging ornaments and couldn't believe that things had changed so much.  The only thing missing was Xander.  Nine months had passed without a word.  She was hoping that he would be in enough of a Christmas spirit to call and at least let them know that he was okay.

            Willow looked at Buffy and knew what was going through her friend's mind.  She missed Xander just as much but she was determined to take Buffy's mind off of depressing thoughts.  "I don't suppose anyone's in the mood for Christmas carols?" she asked hopefully.

            Faith groaned.  "Please, Red, not again!"

            "I have to agree with Faith on that, Willow.  I've had quite enough of Perry Como," Giles said from where he sat on the sofa next to Joyce and Anya.  His relationship with Anya had progressed nicely and the two were now engaged. 

            "I happen to like Perry Como," Joyce laughed, glad to have all of her family under one roof.  And she did think of them all as family.

            "Well if you don't want to listen to carols we could have William recite some of his poetry for us," Angel said.  

            Spike's head shot up.  "Bloody hell, do you have to tell everyone about that.  It's bad enough that Red told Buffy and Anya."

            "So William," Doyle said, "What kind of poetry d'ya write?"

            "The name is Spike, Mick, and I'm sure as hell not going to tell you."  Doyle just laughed at the vampire.

            Cordelia looked around the room and got really serious for a moment.  "I just want to say that it's nice having Christmas with you guys.  I've come to think of you as my family."  Angel gave her a hug and then she leaned back into Doyle's arms as he pressed a kiss to her temple.  

            A low grumbling sound broke up the sappy moment and everyone looked at Faith.  "What?  I'm hungry."

            Everyone laughed and Joyce stood up.  "I'll bring out some sandwiches and chips.  Sodas and blood are in the refrigerator if anyone wants some."  As she went back to the kitchen Buffy stood, ready to help with decorations but was stopped when the phone rang.  "I'll get it," she yelled to her mom as she picked it up.  "Hello."

            "Is this Buffy Summers?" asked a gruff voice.

            "Yes it is."

            "My name is Detective Jason Hurley.  I'm with the 67th precinct of the New York City Police Department.  Do you know anyone by the name of Xander Harris?"

            "Oh my God!  Xander!  Is he okay?  He's not in jail is he?"  Everyone in the next room stopped, Willow, Cordelia, and Faith all walking closer to Buffy.  

            "I'm sorry, miss.  He's not in jail.  I'm calling because your number was listed as an emergency contact on a card in his wallet.  I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Mr. Harris was shot earlier this evening in an apparent mugging."

            Tears began running down her cheeks.  "But he's okay right?  He's going to be fine?"

            "Miss, I'm afraid Mr. Harris passed away before EMT's arrived on the scene.  I'm very sorry."

            "No!" Buffy screamed.  "You made a mistake.  He's not dead!"  Willow and Cordelia were both crying, having realized what was happening.  Faith leaned against the wall, sliding down until she sat on the floor, burying her head against her knees.  Giles held Anya while she cried and Spike, Angel and Doyle took Willow and Cordelia into their embrace.  Joyce came running out of the kitchen wondering what was going on.

            "I'm very sorry for your loss," the voice on the phone said just before Buffy heard a click, then nothing.  

            "Honey?" Joyce asked.

            She dropped the phone, not bothering to hang it up, and turned to her mom, hugging her tight, tears pouring down her cheeks.  "Xander's dead.  He was shot by a mugger."

            "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry," Joyce murmured, not knowing quite what to say to her daughter.  Nothing she said would bring him back.

            No one moved a muscle.  Everything was silent.  It was as if they'd been frozen by the news.  Nothing could be heard except the faint tick tock of the clock on the wall, counting the minutes as they passed.  Nothing would ever be the same.  One of their own was gone.


End file.
